Of all the things that could possibly go wrong with the day, a recent survey shows that a sudden breakdown of office printers is considered the most annoying and stress-inducing. Are your prints suddenly faded? Is your toner smearing? Are your envelopes not print envelopes correctly? Thankfully, most of these are common laser printer problems that can be solved in a few simple steps. 

Some or all of the printing on the page is faded

A faded print image is normally the result of one of three conditions: The printer is getting low on toner, the print density is set too low, or Economode printing is turned on. For the last two settings, a printer self-test (typically a separate button on the printer) will show what the current settings are. If Economode is on, and users are complaining about how light the print is, turn it off and/or set the print density higher. If the toner is low, simply removing the cartridge and shaking it to redistribute the toner more evenly can temporarily resolve the problem until you can replace the cartridge. 

A lighter copy of my image is printing where it’s not supposed to

Ghosting is a condition where the image prints properly, but a much lighter copy of the image also prints elsewhere. This can be due to a problem with the power outlet that is supplying power to the printer. Check the power outlet by plugging in a different printer to see if the same results occur. Ghosting can also be caused when consumable printer parts (such as the drum or imaging kit) are near the end of their life. All of the consumable parts in a printer are rated for a certain number of pages. Once a printer gets near that magic number, you’ll need to replace those parts to eliminate ghosting. 

The toner smears or does not stay on the paper

If words and images come off the paper when a hand is run across them, there are a few possible problems. First, the fuser assembly may be damaged or at the end of its life. The solution is to replace the fuser assembly. Repairing a fuser assembly is generally not recommended because the fuser is considered a consumable printer part and not worth the time or effort to fix. Second, the toner cartridge may be defective and letting too much toner out at one time. In a black and-white laser printer, the solution is to replace the toner cartridge. In a color laser printer, only replace the cartridge that is exhibiting the problem. Third, some toner may have spilled in the printer. If so, you’ll need to clean it out. 

I’m having trouble printing onto envelopes

Envelopes can cause many problems for laser printers. Choose envelopes that are close to 20-lb paper in weight and thickness. Also, make sure that the adhesive on the envelope is capable of withstanding the heat that the fuser puts out to keep the printing on the page. If you don’t, the envelopes will come out of the printer already sealed. If envelopes are coming out of the printer wrinkled, they may be too stiff for the paper path. Open the rear of the printer and let them exit at that location instead. 

If your problem isn’t listed here or if your problem is still persisting, you may need to get your laser printer repaired. Contact us about getting fast laser printer repairs and we’ll be happy to assist you. You can trust us because we've been repairing HP Printers in the NYC Area since they were invented.  We'll be at your office in a day or less - new clients get a 10% discount!

Here at A M Exclusive, our goal is to provide you with reliable technology solutions that will make your organization more efficient. Since 1985, we have been striving to make our clients’ busy work lives easier though offering the highest quality printer, technology and communications services at the fairest prices. We honor honesty and integrity above all, so if you need your laser printer repaired for any reason, you can be sure to count on us.